Top of the League – and having a laugh!

3 games down, 9 points and top of the League. Who’d have believed it? Not me for sure, 1 week down 25% towards the safety net points total and Birmingham City at home on Saturday. Last time they were up they took 6 points from us with a wicked 40 yarder that could have gone anywhere and a post Carling Cup win embarrassment by 4-1 at St Andrews. In that period we approached games with arrogance (having won a cup) and played without any at all – this time I hope we keep our feet securely on the ground.

Birmingham presents my first visit to White Hart Lane this season having been away for the Liverpool game. I may be wrong but I think it will be a great atmosphere on Saturday with us starting out top of the table. Over recent years – since Martin Jol was our manager – the atmosphere has continually improved at what used to be an apprehensive and quiet stadium and I have slight concerns that if the redevelopment plans go ahead that a lot of this will be lost. I also read Arsene Wenger’s thoughts about stadium redevelopments and have to admit that he has a point. With all clubs it is important to have a team to put into a brilliant new stadium as after it is built there is the risk that finances will be under pressure for a couple of years. Arsene pointed out a number of clubs now struggling in the lower leagues who had moved to new homes and it’s fair to say that without Champions League money of about £60 million a season Arsenal might have more worries on their broad shoulders.

After all it was only the early 1970’s when Chelsea built a fantastic new stand and bankrupted the club until Mr A stepped in and changed their finances all around. That stand helped Chelsea’s record against Tottenham to what it is today. When they were a regulation win for us the stand made sure they were in the second division and safe from Archibald, Crooks, Hoddle, Ardiles etc.

I appreciate that the Tottenham board think that we need more seats available at our ground and I do support this. But how many is the question? Firstly, we have to be mindful that a generation of new football supporters have chosen Arsenal, Chelsea and possibly Manchester United over Spurs because of their much better records since the mid nineties so can we sell out week in week out.. You might call this a bit defeatist but I well remember the financial crisis in 1990/91 at the club resulting in the sale of Gascoigne when “no club” might have been a possibility.

Then there is the issue of being a buying/selling club. If our form continues it certainly brings some of our star players into the spotlight and current Top4/Manchester City radar. Defoe might stay with Harry but will that be the case with Modric or Palacious? And then you are rebuilding the side and restricting your potential. What is true is that there will always be 36 to 40 thousand who will make the effort go to the games but after that you do need a team. As a Spurs member I can get tickets, for some games you have to put yourself out but not for all, so does this suggest that we can sell out a new stadium? Granted we may have lots on a season ticket list – but don’t most of them already go as members and if they don’t why will they go if they suddenly get the opportunity of season tickets. I’m not sure I understand it – maybe you can enlighten me?

 But for now let’s just enjoy being top of the table. Come on you Spurs!  

We are Tottenham: Super Tottenham

Last year it was joy, this year a tinge of sadness – but we did take Manchester United to penalties and kept a clean sheet over 120 minutes. True we rode our luck on occasions but then did their keeper not get the man of the match award? Chances were few but it was an enjoyable game to watch and one that was there to be won once we got our teeth into it.

As I’ve said before supporting Tottenham Hotspur is a rollercoaster ride and it is days like yesterday that make you scratch you head. If we played like that every week we would be in the upper reaches of the table and we would maybe not be desperate for Wilson Palacios to provide the tackles and midfield steel that we’ve been lacking. In our run up to last years final we tackled like tigers to beat Arsenal and approached Chelsea with similar vigour. Having won it we approached match after match as cocky world beaters and got shown the error of our ways week after week. Let’s hope this year we apply the effort and attitude we showed yesterday for the rest of the season to help get us out of trouble and up that Premier League table!

The season so far….

As we approach the New Year, a look at the Barclays Premier League shows an extremely tight competition with Bolton in 11^th and Stoke in 19^th only three points apart.  There have been a number of surprise results this season and a few unexpected successes. 

 

Who would have thought that Hull Citywould have a good run at the start of the season and that clubs such as Blackburn, Tottenham and Newcastle would be struggling for points?  And how many people would have put Ireland, Cisse or Turner (Hull) in their first choice eleven?

 

Having been asked for my ‘Trick’s Picks’ at the start of the season, I have to say that I pinned great expectations on Spurs and have been somewhat let down…unless Harry can turn things around, my Picks will be far worse than last year!

 

A look at our Fantasy Football League Table shows that there are a number of teams with a possible claim to the title. It could be a close-run contest, almost as close as the Premiership itself.

 

Top of the Lambert Chapman Premiership at the moment is ‘Real Cool Beanz’, managed by Lewis Sharp, with a total of 882 points. He has now been top for six weeks and looks to have a strong team. However, there are a few teams below him that cannot be ruled out – Ainsley Bowyer has 863 points and Andy Stride has 852 points. Below them in 5^thplace is Tom Drysdale, last year’s winner, with 807 points and he will be keen to retain the trophy.

 

Also deserving of a mention is ‘I’m forever…ah!’ in 10^thplace – Mike Carabine always submits a ‘theme team’ into the competition – this time, he has chosen players who have all been involved at West Ham at some point, either a permanent signing, loan signing or those who played whilst in the youth squad.  Given his strong position, it remains to be seen whether he sticks to the theme or forgoes it for a stronger squad with an eye on winning!

 

It should not be forgotten that, each month, we promote the top three teams in each league and relegate the bottom three teams.  Therefore, teams in Division 5 can still get promoted each month and get into the Premiership by the end of April, leaving them in with a chance of the trophy.

 

This is good news for the likes of Gary Luckman (858 points), Ruth Lewis (849) and Louise Jessup (827) who could all be in this position at the end of the season.

 

This brings home the importance of the transfer window to all those Managers wanting to succeed in the competition.  Once the real window has closed at the end of January 2009, we shall open our own, taking into account all transfers to that point in time.  Making the right transfers could mean the difference between success and failure – do ensure that you keep an eye on the website and make changes to your team when required.